Headband adjuster

ABSTRACT

A SIMPLE ADJUSTMENT INTEGRATED WITH THE FRAME OF A GOGGLE, OR THE LIKE AND PROVIDING MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY ATTACHING A FLEXIBLE, STRETCHABLE, HEADBAND, OR THE LIKE, TO THE GOGGLE ITSELF IN A MANNER PREVENTING LOOSENING OR DETACHMENT OF THE HEADBAND FROM THE GOGGLE. A SINGLE COMBINATION SLIDABLE WEDGE AND RETAINER MEMBER IS PROVIDED IN SLIDABLE RELATION WITH THE GOGGLE INTO A POSITION OF TIGHT, FIXED, ADJUSTMENT, OR INTO, ALTERNATIVELY, A POSITION IN WHICH RELATIVELY FREE MOVEMENT OF THE ELASTIC HEADBAND IS ACCOMMODATED. THE PARTS ARE CONSTRUCTED FOR ONE-HANDED MANIPULATION OF THE ADJUSTING DEVICE WHILE THE GOGGLE IS ON THE HEAD OF THE WEARER.

Sept. 20, 1971 P. D. AMUNDsEN 3,605,204

HEADBAND ADJUSTER Filed March 24,1970

.United States Patent Oce Patented Sept. 20, 1971 U.S. Cl. 24-171 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A simple adjustment integrated with the frame of a goggle, or the like and providing means for adjustably attaching a flexible, stretchable, headband, or the like, to the goggle itself in a manner preventing loosening or detachment of the headband from the goggle. A single combination slidable wedge and retainer member is provided in slidable relation with the goggle into a position of tight, ixed, adjustment, or into, alternatirvely, a position in which relatively free movement of the elastic headband is accommodated. The parts are constructed for one-handed manipulation of the adjusting device while the goggle is on the head of the wearer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years protective goggles and spectacles have been successfully employed in preventing eye injuries. lt is extremely important under some working conditions that the eyes of the workman be substantially completely shielded from yiug objects or small particles. Such eye protection can be, and has been, satisfactorily provided by means of a one-piece goggle held in position on the head of the wearer by means of a strap encircling the head of the wearer and secured, by one means or another, to opposite ends of the goggle frame. Elastic headband material has typically been provided. This material is flexible, resilient, and reduces substantially in cross-section upon being longitudinally stretched and has been found difficult to control with respect to a simple, universal, adjustment capable of one-hand readjustment. Goggle-type glasses employing an elastic band which completely encircles the head require relatively wide range of adjustment and may be quite uncomfortable if the adjustment is not precisely correct. It is an accomplishment of the present invention to satisfy the above requirements of adjustability of a goggle-type eyeshield in an improved manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a goggle is provided with a tunnel-type loop adjacent each side edge thereof and of sufiicient opening width to permit passage of at least two thicknesses of an elastic band in its normal or unstressed condition. A slidable key or band retainer is positioned for reciprocation in the tunnel and incorporates a transverse turnaround bar cooperable, in the condition of goggle use, with the adjacent end of the goggle tunnel to provide a restriction upon sliding movement of the elastic band in at least the direction of adjustmentloosening movement. Means are provided in the key to permit movement of the key, and hence the transverse bar thereof, away from cooperation with the end of the tunnel and thereby provide substantially unrestricted band movement in either direction of adjustment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an isometric view, of a goggle lens and FIG. 2 s a cross-sectional view taken along the line CTl II-II of FIG. 1 showing an enlarged cross-sectional View of the fastening attachment;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the fastening device taken along the line III--III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side-elevational view of the slidable key employed with the fastener of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is an end-elevational rview of the key shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the right thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As may be seen from a consideration of FIG. 1, the adjusting device of the present invention is appropriately employed with a one-piece goggle, or the like. As there shown, a plastic frame 10 is formed integral with, or bonded to, a transparent lens 11. Side extensions 12 of the frame 10 extend rearwardly of the lens and snugly engage the sides of the wearers head. A flexible, stretchable elastic strap 13 is adjustably secured to the goggle by an attachment device generally indicated at 15 which comprises a tunnel, preferably integral with the goggle, comprising a top wall 16 and side walls 17. -A bottom wall 18 is preferably formed by an extension of the outside surface 12a of the goggle side 12. Although in the embodiment shown, the bottom wall 18 is an extension of the wall 12a, it may be raised upwardly from the surface 12a, if desired.

A key 20 having a longitudinally extending flat plate portion 21 is slidably mounted in the tunnel. The key carries a transverse bar 22 and the plate 2.1 is suiliciently thin to permit the elastic strap 13 to be passed through the tunnel with the plate 21 in position, around the bar 22, and backwardly out through the tunnel as specifically illustrated in FIG. 2. When the ends of the strap 13 are pulled toward the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, the bar 22 will move toward the right causing the portion 13a of the strap 13 to be bent transversely toward the bottom wall 18 as the bar 22 practically abuts the end of 119 of the tunnel.

It has been found that when the bar 22 squeezes the portion 13a of the flexible strap 13 against the end 19 0f the tunnel, pulling of the bottom portion of the strap 13, indicated at 13b will not cause movement of the strap around the bar 22 whereas, in the alternative, pulling of the outer end, indicated at 13C, will cause a travel of the exible strap through the nip between the bar 22 and the end 19. As a result of this characteristic, the outer ends of the strap 13 may be pulled to tighten the strap 13 while the goggle is on the wearers head, and this adjustment may be made one-handed.

It is desired that the key 20 be retained against inadvertent disassociation from the goggle and this is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing a detent abutment 17a on the inside of the side walls of the tunnel. Detents 17a cooperate with similar detent edges 21a on the plate 21. The plate 21 may be made of a moderately yieldable plastic to thereby permit passage of the plate past the abutment 17a and, if considered desirable, the plate may be cut out as at '2lb to increase the inward deectability of the abutments 21a. By this arrangement, the key 20 may be moved to the left suicient to eliminate any interference 'with movement of the strap 13 in either direction of adjustment. Accordingly, when the goggle is off the head of the wearer, adjustment may very readily be made in either direction of strap movement by moving the key toward the left as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, and then pulling one or the other ends of the strap. Movement of the key toward the right then renders the adjustment substantially non-reversible in the direction of tightness. Accordmgly, the goggle may be placed upon the head and adjusted into a snug position by pulling the outer end 13a of the flexible strap at either side of the goggle, until the goggle is satisfactorily seated.

It may be observed that the strap 13 may be passed between the plate 21 and the surface 1'8 rather than above the plate 21 as illustrated. Similarly, it is preferred that the area between the plate 21 and the top of the tunnel 16 be sufficiently large to permit passage of the two layers of elastic strap in their unstressed condition without substantial interference. This assures that when the key 20 is moved to the left into a position of looseness, adjustment may be made without appreciable resistance. It is considered within the skill of the present invention, however, to reduce the dimension of the gap between plate 21 and the top wall 16 to provide snugness even in the separated position of the parts.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention and it is, accordingly, my intent that the scope of the invention be limited solely by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An adjustment device for securing a flexible, stretchable strap, or the like, to a member having a tunnel xedly secured thereon, a longitudinally extending slidable key member mounted for axial movement in said tunnel, a transverse bar carried by said key member spaced therefrom to permit looping said strap thereabout so that when the strap is introduced through said tunnel from one end thereof and around said bar and returned through said tunnel the strap will remain freely adjustable in both directions until at least one end of the strap is pulled from said one end to cause the key and looped strap to wedge against said tunnel.

2. An adjustment device for securing a flexible, stretchable strap, or the like, to a member having a tunnel fxedly secured thereon, a longitudinally extending slidable key member mounted for axial movement in said tunnel, a transverse bar carried by said key member spaced therefrom to permit looping said strap thereabout so that when the strap is introduced through said tunnel from one end thereof and around said bar and returned through said tunnel the strap will remain freely adjustable in both directions until at least one end of the strap is pulled from said one end to cause the key and looped strap to wedge against said tunnel, said transverse bar being positioned for abutting engagement with the other end of said tunnel and said flexible strap being thereby forced to turn and travel generally transversely of said tunnel between said bar and the other end of said tunnel as the strap returns through said tunnel.

3. An adjustment device for securing a exible, stretchable strap, or the like, to a member having a tunnel xedly secured thereon, a longitudinally extending slidable key member mounted for axial movement in said tunnel, a transverse bar carried by said key member spaced therefrom to permit looping said strap thereabout so that when the strap is introduced through said tunnel from one end thereof and around said bar and returned through said tunnel the strap will remain freely adjustable in both directions until at least one end of the strap is pulled from said one end to cause the key and looped strap to wedge against said tunnel, said transverse bar being positioned for abutting engagement with the other end of said tunnel and said flexible strap being thereby forced to turn and travel generally transversely of said tunnel between said bar and the other end of said tunnel as the strap returns through said tunnel, said bar abutting one side of said tunnel only whereby the strap is adjustable when the key and strap are against the other end of the tunnel only by pulling the end of the strap that lies adjacent said one side.

4. In a goggle having a flexible, stretchable attachment strap secured at both sides thereof for encircling the head of a wearer, a device for adjustably securing the strap to at least one side thereof, comprising a tunnel xedly secured to that side, a longitudinally extending slidable key member mounted for axial movement in said tunnel, a transverse bar carried by said key member spaced therefrom to permit looping said strap thereabout so that when the strap is introduced through said tunnel from one end thereof and around said bar and returned through said tunnel the strap will remain freely adjustable in both directions until at least one end of the strap is pulled from said one end to cause the key and looped strap to wedge against said tunnel, said transverse bar being positioned for abutting engagement with the other end of said tunnel and said flexible strap being thereby forced to turn and travel generally transversely of said tunnel between said bar and the other end of said tunnel as the strap returns through said tunnel, said bar abutting the side of said tunnel remote from the goggle only, whereby the strap is adjustable when the key and strap are against said other end of the tunnel only by pulling the end of the strap that lies adjacent the remote side of the tunnel, whereby adjustment of the strap is readily made to shorten the strap while the goggle is in use,

5. An adjustment device for securing a flexible, stretchable strap, or the like, to a member having a tunnel xedly secured thereon, a longitudinally extending slidable key member mounted for axial movement in said tunnel, a transverse bar carried by said key member spaced therefrom to permit looping said strap thereabout so that when the strap is introduced through said tunnel from one end thereof and around said bar and returned through said tunnel the strap will remain freely adjustable in both directions until at least one end of the strap is pulled from said one end to cause the key and looped strap to wedge against said tunnel, and including resilient means on said key and mechanically cooperating means in said tunnel for preventing disassembly of said key from said tunnel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 201,431 3/1878 Logue 24--171 967,588 8/1910 Van Duzer 24-171 2,979,728 4/ 1961 Amundsen 2-14D 3,132,390 5/1964 Boden 2430.5'SL

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 2-14V 

